Sitting in the northeast corner of Taylor County, Abilene Texas owes it's origin to the Texas and Pacific Railroad, a group of ranchers, and land spectators. Before the railroad, the area was inhabited by nomadic Indians and United States military personnel. By the 1870s, the Indians were driven (no surprise there), and cattleman began to graze their herd in Abilene.
With a town full of history, and the original old buildings still standing and intact, it comes to no surprise that Abilene has its fair share of hauntings.
Lady Ghost of Lake Fort in Fort Phantom Hill
Rumored to begin in the 1940's, Mona Bell agreed to meet her boyfriend at the lake who just returned from war. He was supposed to signal his headlights three times upon his arrival but as she went to hug her boyfriend he went into a rage and strangled her to death. The reason he killed her? His best friend had jokingly told him that he kept Mona company while away.
After realizing what he had done he threw her body into the lake. But witnesses claimed she was not dead because they heard her screams that soon turned into gurgles as she drowned. (Why the heck didn't y'all help her? Rude).
Suppodely when people visit the lake or drive past, she will make your headlights flicker and surround your car with a dense fog.
The Grace Museum
Built in 1909, the Grace Museum which was originally the Hotel Grace named after the daughter of Col. WL. Beckham who built the hotel. The hotel was renamed the Drake with an added pool, bus station and coffee shop ("The Grace Coffee Shop").
But, the third and fourth floors of the hotel are believed to be haunted. Some witnesses believe it's a spirit of a child who died back during its time as the Drake Hotel. There have also been reported sounds of footsteps, moving doorknobs and movement throughout the hallways during the night.
There's also an old photo of deemed the "ghost photo" where many staff members believe the smoke about them is was one of the building's ghosts.
Whitten Inn's Shadowman
One night, a guest came shrieking into the hotel lobby about an invisible figure that had followed her in the hallway. At first, many believed it was just a nightmare but the following months more guests confessed to a poor night's sleep due to the light in their room turning on and off. Others found their trinkets being in unusual places such as necklaces in the mini fridge or a bible in the shower.
Sometimes personal items will fall off the furniture and investigator heard something or someone whispering "he's coming" over and over again. The investigator also heard the hotel room door behind him slowly open and noticed a dark figure forming a long dark robe and hidden face.
This investigator also says that the figure smothered him with the cloak and then woke up from a coma three days later in the hospital.
With a town history as rich, there are much more places to explore that are haunted in Abilene such as the Wooten hotel with reoccurring strange events or the Paramount Theater that is rumored to have orbs shown in pictures or the Minter Mansion- a full list can be found on haunted places website.
